Anemone plant named ‘Pretty Lady Maria’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Anemone  plant named ‘Pretty Lady Maria’, characterized by its upright and relatively compact plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; relatively large single type flowers that are white in color and positioned above the foliar plane; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Anemone hupehensis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PRETTY LADY MARIA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Anemone,botanically known as Anemone hupehensis and hereinafter referred to bythe name ‘Pretty Lady Maria’.

The new Anemone plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Niigata, Japan. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new uniform and freely-flowering Anemoneplants with large flowers and attractive flower color.

The new Anemone plant originated from a cross-pollination in Niigata,Japan of Anemone hupehensis ‘Alba’, not patented, as the female, orseed, parent with an unnamed proprietary selection of Anemonehupehensis, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The newAnemone plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a singleflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in acontrolled environment in Niigata, Japan in August, 2009.

Asexual reproduction of the new Anemone by root cuttings in a controlledenvironment in Niigata since October, 2009 has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Anemone are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Anemone have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions and various cultural practices. The phenotypemay vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such astemperature and light intensity without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Pretty Lady Maria’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Pretty Lady Maria’ as a newand distinct Anemone plant:

-   -   1. Upright and relatively compact plant habit.    -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Relatively large single type flowers that are white in color        and positioned above the foliar plane.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Anemone can be compared to plants of the femaleparent. ‘Alba’. Plants of the new Anemone differ primarily from plantsof ‘Alba’ in plant height as plants of the new Anemone are taller thanplants of ‘Alba’.

Plants of the new Anemone can be compared to plants of the male parentselection. Plants of the new Anemone differ primarily from plants of themale parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Anemone are shorter than plants of the male        parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Anemone and the male parent selection        differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection        have dark pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Anemone can be compared to plants of Anemonehupehensis ‘Honorine Jobert’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Hillegom, The Netherlands, plants of the new Anemone and‘Honorine Jobert’ differed primarily in plant height as plants of thenew Anemone were much shorter than plants of ‘Honorine Jobert’.

Plants of the new Anemone can also be compared to plants of Anemonehupehensis ‘Whirlwind’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Hillegom, The Netherlands, plants of the new Anemone and‘Whirlwind’ differed primarily in plant height as plants of the newAnemone were much shorter than plants of ‘Whirlwind’. In addition,plants of the new Anemone had single type flowers whereas plants of‘Whirlwind’ had semi-double to double type flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Anemone plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Anemone plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of atypical plant of ‘Pretty Lady Maria’ in a ground bed in an outdoornursery.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Pretty Lady Maria’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in ground beds and 17-cm containersduring the late summer in an outdoor nursery in Hillegom, TheNetherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Anemoneproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperatures rangedfrom 12° C. to 28° C. and night temperatures ranged from 4° C. to 14° C.Plants were one year old when the photographs and description weretaken. In the following description, color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Anemone hupehensis ‘Pretty Lady Maria’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Anemone hupehensis ‘Alba’, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Anemone hupehensis, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By in vitro propagation.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About one week at            temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two weeks at            temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About six to            nine weeks at temperatures of 15° C. to 17° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About nine to            ten weeks at temperatures of 15° C. to 17° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright and            relatively compact plant habit with leaves and flowering            stems developing from basal rosettes; about eleven basal            branches develop per plant; moderately vigorous growth            habit.        -   Plant height.—About 43.5 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 37.8 cm.-   Branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 23.2 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 3 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 10.9 cm.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Strength.—Strong.        -   Aspect.—Erect to about 10° from vertical.        -   Color.—Close to 144A.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, compound, typically with three            leaflets per leaf.        -   Length, leaves.—About 12.4 cm.        -   Width, leaves.—About 11.8 cm.        -   Length, terminal leaflets.—About 9.4 cm.        -   Width, terminal leaflets.—About 4.4 cm.        -   Length, lateral leaflets.—About 7.1 cm.        -   Width, lateral leaflets.—About 4.6 cm.        -   Shape, leaves.—Broadly ovate to deltoid in outline.        -   Shape, terminal leaflets.—Ovate.        -   Shape, lateral leaflets.—Roughly ovate.        -   Apex, all leaflets.—Acute.        -   Base, terminal leaflets.—Attenuate.        -   Base, lateral leaflets.—Attenuate, oblique.        -   Margin, all leaflets.—Serrate to biserrate.        -   Texture, all leaflets, upper surface.—Sparsely pubescent;            rough.        -   Texture, all leaflets, lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Venation pattern, all leaflets.—Palmate, laciniate.        -   Color, all leaflets.—Developing leaflets, upper surface:            Close to 143A. Developing leaflets, lower surface: Close to            138B to 138C. Fully expanded leaflets, upper surface: Close            to N137A to N137B and 146A; venation, close to 144A. Fully            expanded leaflets, lower surface: Close to between 147B and            148B; venation, close to 144C.        -   Leaf petioles.—Length: About 7.6 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A.        -   Terminal leaflet petioles.—Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter:            About 1.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A.        -   Lateral leaflet petioles.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter:            About 1.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and flowering habit.—Single type rotate            flowers arranged in compound cymes with strong peduncles            that hold the flowers above the foliar plane; freely            flowering habit with ten flowers per inflorescence; flowers            face upright to outwardly.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Anemone flower            during the late summer in The Netherlands.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about one week on            the plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 17.9 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 18.6 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 7.8 cm.        -   Flower length (depth).—About 2.3 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 1.1 cm.            Shape: Broadly ovate. Color: Close to 150B to 150C.        -   Petals.—Absent.        -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: About five or six arranged            in a single whorl. Length: About 3.4 cm. Width: About            2.5 cm. Shape: Broadly obovate to obovate. Apex: Rounded to            retuse. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface:            Glabrous, smooth; velvety. Texture, lower surface: Densely            pubescent; velvety. Color: When opening, upper surface:            Close to NN155A; towards the base, close to 157D. When            opening, lower surface: Close to 150D; towards the base,            close to 150C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to NN155D;            with cooler temperatures, flushed with close to 69C to 69D.            Fully opened, lower surface: Close to NN155C to NN155D;            towards the base, close to 155A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 12.8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Aspect: About 20° from vertical. Texture: Pubescent. Color:            Close to 144A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 10.4 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Aspect: Erect to about 35° from the peduncle axis. Texture:            Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A to 144B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number per flower:            About 240. Filament length: About 8 mm. Filament color:            Close to NN155C to NN155D. Anther shape: Oblong to reniform.            Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 17A.            Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 15C.            Gynoecium: Pistil number per flower: About 200. Pistil            length: About 1 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color:            Close to 145A. Style length: About 0.5 mm. Style color:            Close to 144A to 144B. Ovary color: Close to 145A. Seeds and            fruits: Seed and fruit development have not been observed on            plants of the new Anemone.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Anemone have been observed to    have good garden performance, to tolerate high temperatures of about    35° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 4.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Anemone have not been    observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Anemone    plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Anemone plant named ‘Pretty LadyMaria’ as illustrated and described.